


The Week After - Zombie Island

by i_am_a_cliche



Series: The Week After [1]
Category: Scooby Doo - All Media Types, Scooby Doo on Zombie Island (1998)
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Missing Scenes, The week after zombie island, Zombie Island "what if", Zombie Island Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:54:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26395987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_am_a_cliche/pseuds/i_am_a_cliche
Summary: The week after the events of Zombie Island, Daphne Blake must explain the disappearance of her camera and all of the events that occurred on Moonscar Island to her fans and the studio audience on Chris Herring's talk show. She has Detective Beau Neville for back-up, but will his validation make her story believable, and will Coast to Coast be renewed for a third season? Meanwhile, Fred Jones struggles with confronting his feelings for Daphne.
Relationships: Daphne Blake/Fred Jones, Velma Dinkley/Beau Neville
Series: The Week After [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1918420
Comments: 8
Kudos: 10





	The Week After - Zombie Island

**Author's Note:**

> Author Note: Hi everyone, I hope you're all healthy and well! I'm back after quite a hiatus, and I'm returning with something that I've never done before. I want to try my hand at writing a bunch of one-shots that are centered around my vision of what happens about a week after select Scooby Doo movies or even TV episodes end. This idea was inspired after I read some fics in other fandoms, and I saw a few authors write vignettes of events that occur a week after certain episodes relevant to that particular fandom. In this series, I'll be focusing on some of the especially iconic movies, such as Zombie Island in this instance, because these were movies I loved and left me wanting more.
> 
> I decided to start with Zombie Island because I always felt like it would be cool to see the fallout of what happens when the gang returns home from Moonscar Island. Even since I was a kid, when Daphne asks Beau if he has ever been on live television after she laments the loss of her camera, it made me wonder what happened when Daphne and everyone else returned home and told the world their story. And as a huge Fraphne shipper, I always wanted to see Fred and Daphne get together officially, especially since we last see them watching the sun on a "pretty romantic spot" in Daphne's words. As a result, I wrote a projection of both scenarios, and I really hope you enjoy it! Please read and review, and if you have a particular request for an epilogue of any particular movie or even TV show, you can feel free to leave it in the reviews. I can't guarantee that I will write it, but I am definitely open to suggestions!
> 
> Thanks for reading, and please leave a review if you enjoy it! - iamacliche

**The Week After – Zombie Island**

The week after Mystery Incorporated returns from Moonscar Island, Louisiana, Fred Jones is standing on the set of Chris Herring's popular morning talk show, appropriately and simply named _Chris_. Even though the set is buzzing with colors and voices rising and braiding together and lights flashing and adjusting, Fred finds himself detached from it all as he stares into his coffee as though his morning pick-me-up will magically reveal how the next hour will unfurl; however, like the waters of Louisiana, the coffee is dark and murky, and reveals nothing. He sighs and checks his watch for the third time in the last ten minutes, and he impatiently taps his feet in a pair of black dress shoes that are half a size too small and pinch his toes; his original pair had accompanied him to Moonscar Island, and Fred had left almost every piece of luggage behind him when he returned home, as though doing so would also enable him to leave behind the memories from Louisiana, as well. Unfortunately for Fred, this wasn't the case, which had quickly become apparent from the way he woke multiple times every night coated in a cold sheen of sweat and panting as though he was being chased by a horde of soul-sucking cat goddesses and flesh-eating zombies.

Fred's phone chirps, snapping him out of his reverie, and he slides his finger across the screen to check the message.

" _Hey Fredster, like, how's Daph doing!? Is she nervous?"_

Fred gingerly places his ceramic coffee mug on the table behind him so he can respond to Shaggy Rogers. His fingers fly across the screen as he wishes that, not for the first time today, his friends could be here on set today.

" _She's doing okay I think, all things considered. She didn't seem nervous when I picked her up this morning, but you know Daphne; she isn't going to let on if she's scared or worried_."

Fred sighs as he clicks send and places his phone down on the table beside his coffee. Ever since the gang returned from Moonscar Island, Fred has been worried about Daphne; he feels the worry seep into his bones and sear his body as he moves throughout the day, just as an arthritic body groans and reacts during a thunderstorm. While Fred is close with each of the individual members of Mystery Incorporated, there was always something about Daphne that made Fred feel as though she was his best friend and understood him in a way that no one had understood him before, and inexplicably, he had been drawn to her time and time again. It was as though an invisible white thread had connected the two, tethering them together throughout various stages of their lives, and when Daphne was struggling or hurting, Fred felt the tug of the thread and felt himself drawn to her like a magnet, ensuring she was okay and doing his best to put a smile on her face again. It had been no different when the camera for Daphne's show, _Coast to Coast_ , was swallowed by the quicksand on Moonscar Island. Daphne was crushed; she was visibly deflated knowing that she had promised her viewers a "real live ghost" and not just "some bad guy in a mask," and without that camera, her proof of the slobbering zombies and the horrifying cat people was nonexistent. Only this time, when Fred felt the tug of the thin white thread and felt himself drawn to her side in an attempt to soothe her, he didn't know how to respond; he couldn't make the camera magically reappear, and even worse, the knotted, twisted ball of guilt that settled in the pit of his stomach reminded him that it was his fault they had lost the camera in the first place. He knew as well as Daphne did that their audience would be skeptical at best without that footage – and at worst? He didn't even want to think about it, he thought with a shiver that snaked down his spine. So when Detective Beau Neville revealed himself as an undercover agent, Daphne had viewed this as a sliver of light in this dark situation, and had enticed him to appear on Chris' show alongside Daphne, in spite of Beau's protests that he wasn't "television material," whatever the hell that meant. Her plan was that she would reveal what had occurred on Moonscar Island, and Beau would speak alongside her to validate the experience.

By default, Fred did not need to be here for this interview today; he hadn't been invited as a speaker alongside Daphne, as that was Beau's role, and since he and Daphne were guests on Chris' show instead of filming content for Daphne's show, this meant that there was no need for Fred to lend his talent as her camera man for this interview. But when he pictured Daphne sitting before the dozens of people in the live studio audience and squirming in the glaring, white hot lights from the cameras as she recounted what had happened, Fred felt the familiar yank of the thread again, beckoning him to be there for her to grapple with whatever residual fallout ensued from this interview. Or at least, that was what he told himself anyway; Fred was too proud to admit it to anyone else, even himself, but the main reason Fred had accompanied Daphne today was because the thought of Beau being alone with Daphne and her smile and her contagious, bubbly laugh and her glittering green eyes made Fred choke for air, as though his lungs were shrinking in his chest. Fred knew it was silly of him to overreact, especially since Velma had quickly been drawn to Beau; in fact, she had just told the gang about her and Beau's date night at the local Italian restaurant, which was followed by an excursion through her mystery book store.

But even though Fred felt fairly confident in knowing that Beau and Velma were currently exploring whatever bond had recently knitted them together, Fred still felt a stabbing pain drag itself like a rake across his chest when he remembered how Daphne looked at Beau with a faraway gaze and a soft, demure smile while they were on Moonscar Island. Fred was embarrassed to admit it, but he had felt this pain before, and he noticed it always occurred if Daphne did a double-take when another young man smiled at her, or when she lingered with a young male fan for a few minutes longer than she normally would with any other fan. Fred didn't know what to do with that realization, or even what to label this white hot emotion (jealousy? anger? fear?), but once he felt it glimmering there like the early morning light shimmering on the rolling waves of the sea, he knew he couldn't just ignore it; as a result, he insisted on not only being present on the set, but on driving Daphne to and from the show, as well.

"Hey Jones, how's it going man?"

Fred jerks, startled at the sight of Beau, who is standing before him as though he has materialized out of a wisp of smoke. For some reason Fred suddenly feels flushed, and the deep crimson blush that blooms onto his cheeks typically only appears if Fred is embarrassed. He can't help but wonder why his conscience weighs him down like a lead anchor, but he chalks it up to the fact that he was just thinking about Beau and now he is standing before Fred, as though Fred has summoned Beau with his thoughts. Fred tapers down this metallic, rusty taste rising in his chest as he forces himself to smile coolly and offers Beau his hand, who smiles boyishly as he pumps Fred's hand in an enthusiastic handshake reminiscent of one between two friends who haven't seen each other in a while.

"Hey Beau, good to see you!" Fred says, surprising himself at how his tone contains no trace of acidity; apparently, they've come a long way since Fred openly accused Beau of being a suspect just last week. "How are you feeling? Are you nervous about being on live television?"

Beau swallows and his adam's apple bobs noticeably, which makes Fred regret even broaching the topic; he certainly hadn't meant to intimidate Beau. And yet, for some reason Fred can't help but marvel at the sight of perspiration dotting Beau's forehead, perhaps because this is the very same Beau with the toned, sharply defined abs and the confident, sparkling blue eyes, and the insecure part of Fred is secretly singing with joy when he realizes that even strong, handsome Beau has fears and doubts.

"Hey man, I can't imagine this is any worse than anything you've seen as a cop; in fact, I'll bet it beats being out on patrol any day," Fred chuckles as he claps Beau on the back lightly. Hoping to lighten the atmosphere, which suddenly crackles and sizzles with tension, he adds, "I mean, it definitely can't be any worse than what we saw last week, right?"

Beau laughs darkly, as though a hand is strangling his neck and he isn't able to breathe freely. "Yeah," Beau grunts, running his hand through his chocolate colored hair. "I don't think anything can beat zombies and soul-sucking cat creatures. I just hope that Daphne's audience believes what we have to say today, or it's game over for her and her television career."

The mention of Daphne's uncertain future thickens the air, and Fred sighs beneath the leaden implication crushing both men in this moment.

"Well, that's why we have to hope for the best," Fred says gravely. "I can't even begin to think of how Daphne will feel if her audience isn't receptive to hearing you guys out. She's poured her blood, sweat, and tears into this show over the past couple of years, and it would be a shame to see it all go up in a puff of smoke all because I tripped and dropped her camera."

Fred hangs his head, the burden of his mistake weighing upon him heavily and hindering him from holding his head up properly. For the last week he has tried to banish the thought that Daphne wouldn't be in this predicament if he hadn't stumbled and dropped the camera into quicksand, but inevitably the guilt always consumes him, clouding his mind and distorting his thoughts. When Daphne was hurt in the past and he had felt the thread jerk him towards her, he was always able to help her by either fixing the situation or simply being available to listen and hold her when she was crying. But how could he fix this problem she was having when he was at the root of the issue?

"You can't blame yourself for that, Fred," Beau says gently, his voice soft as wool as he attempts to soothe his friend. "You were running from a hoard of zombies when you tripped; it was an accident. Anyone who knows Daphne knows that she doesn't hold this against you."

Fred says nothing, only stares down at his feet as though he is memorizing the scoff marks sprinkled on the hardwood floor of the studio, and Beau gazes at Fred intensely. Beau opens his mouth to speak, but then he closes it, as though he has thought better of what he wants to say. Sensing this, Fred raises his sea blue eyes and stares at Beau inquisitively.

"It's nothing," Beau says, but when Fred drops his head again, Beau adds hastily, as though he does not want to second guess his next words, "You know she really cares about you, right? Like, really, _really_ cares?"

Fred feels a flush of embarrassment color his cheeks as his head snaps up to study Beau's face, but as Fred searches for a smile twitch across Beau's lips or a mischievous glimmer in his eyes, Fred sees that Beau is being absolutely serious. Fred isn't sure how to respond, and he feels himself squirm uncomfortably beneath Beau's gaze. His knee-jerk reaction is to vehemently deny this and to insist on how ridiculous Beau sounds, but yet Fred's mind flips back to a moment that happened last week on Moonscar Island. When he was cowering in the bushes with Daphne as they hid from the zombies, Daphne gripped Fred's arm and whispered, "Freddy, if this is it, and this is the end, then there's something I have to ask you…" Fred had felt every sensation in that moment; he felt the soft, wet grass beneath his knees, he heard Daphne inhale sharply as she drew in a shaky breath, and even though his heart was slamming against his chest only moments ago because they had been chased by zombies, somehow his heart accelerated even faster now as Daphne's lips were pressed in a tight line and her eyes darted around nervously. Just as she parted her bubblegum-pink lips to speak, the bushes before them shook, and Fred and Daphne screamed, fearing that a group of zombies were about to descend upon them, but then sighed as relief flooded through their bodies when they came face-to-face with Beau and Velma. That moment has since been laminated in Fred's mind, and he still can't help but wonder what it was Daphne had to ask him; there was a flicker of hope aflame in his heart when he wondered if her question was something he had been wanting to ask her for a long time, too…

"Erm, yeah, of course she cares about me; I mean, she cares about all of her friends," Fred manages to stammer.

Beau stares at Fred, unblinking, and replies seriously, "That's not what I meant, and I think you know it, Jones. Why don't you just tell her how you feel already, man? I'm pretty sure you really, really care about her, too."

As Beau talks, Fred is reminded of why he and Velma had found Beau incriminating initially. Whenever Beau speaks, his voice sounds confident, insistent, and even accusatory by nature, but then again, Fred reminds himself that Beau _is_ a cop after all, so maybe it comes with the territory. But Fred can't handle all this heat and intensity aimed at him; he feels as though he is exposed, naked, and he has never been fond of feeling vulnerable.

"I'm going to go check on Daphne and see how she's holding up," Fred tactfully sashays around the conversation, avoiding Beau's judgmental eyes as he turns to walk towards Daphne's dressing room. "You guys go live in about 15 minutes, so maybe the two of you should meet up and discuss what you're going to say one more time; we have to make sure we get it right."

Fred knows he's evading the subject, but he can't help it; when he ponders what question was on the tip of Daphne's tongue, and when Beau insinuates Daphne has feelings for Fred, a fist clenches in Fred's stomach and his hands feel slick with sweat. He knows there is a chance Beau is right, but he also knows there is an even greater chance that Beau is wrong, and if Fred takes a chance on Beau's prediction and Daphne rejects him, then it'll wrinkle and snag the very fabric of Mystery Incorporated, and before he knows it his friendship with her will disintegrate, and then he'll have lost everything. No – it was better to remain quiet, to keep his thoughts cramped tight in his mind. Mystery Incorporated had only recently reunited, and Fred didn't want to watch the group splinter into a million fragmented pieces again; the gang would never recover. _He_ would never recover, especially if it meant he would lose Daphne forever. And a life without Daphne by his side was a life he dared not consider.

Fred passes a few dressing room doors belonging to Chris' staff before his eyes settle on the door with the whiteboard that has Daphne's name scribbled in black erasable ink. He raises his hand and knocks three times loudly, then pauses. When he hears Daphne quietly murmur that he can enter, he nudges the door open and pauses in the threshold. His eyes sweep across the room as he devours the sight of the circular mahogany table covered in notepads and mugs of cold, bitter-smelling coffee, and the chic white vanity with light bulbs studded around the mirror in the corner, and the glowing, gurgling mini aquarium containing a cluster of colorful fish – and Daphne, massaging her temples with her fingers and pacing back and forth across the room.

When Daphne registers Fred leaning in the doorframe, her eyes flicker to meet his and his heart stutters, just as it does every time Daphne's bright green eyes gaze at him. Daphne's cheeks are rosy pink, and she runs a hand through her auburn colored hair; even though she is clearly flustered and anxious, Fred still finds himself thinking that she looks so beautiful.

"I just came here to see how you were doing, and to let you know that you guys go live in about ten minutes," Daphne is still fixing her gaze upon Fred and he feels rooted in place, frozen beneath her gaze, but he still manages to speak calmly. The sight of Daphne standing unnerved before him untethers something inside of him too, and he feels the guilt in his stomach coil and uncoil. _"If only I hadn't dropped that camera…"_

Daphne nods, but it's clear from the faraway gaze in her eyes that she does not fully register Fred's presence and what he is saying. As Fred stares at Daphne, his mind returns to Moonscar Island again. He can practically feel the soggy grass beneath his knees and Daphne's breath on his neck as they cling to each other, shuddering, and he distinctly hears her whisper, "Freddy, if this is it, and this is the end, then there's something I have to ask you…"

Or maybe he's hearing her soft, syrupy voice in real time, here and now; Daphne is blinking at him inquisitively, her eyebrows arched and her forehead furrowed.

" _Freddy?"_ she says, her voice laced with concern.

Fred jolts, jarred from the flashback, and instantly feels the perspiration slide down his back like a line of marching ants sliding down his spine. He shakes his head as if to diffuse the fog in his mind.

"Sorry Daph, I guess there's a lot on my mind today," he says lamely, then smiles at her sheepishly. "Uh, were you saying something?"

Daphne visibly gulps as she raises her eyes to meet his. "I said," she tries again. "I said, before I go out there and tell everyone our story, if this is it, and this is the end, then there's something I have to ask you…"

Fred reminds himself to breathe when he realizes he is holding his breath; Daphne is finally going to tell him what she wanted to ask him last week, and no force on Earth can stop this, until a loud knock on Daphne's door pierces whatever she is about to say next and crushes the moment with melancholy. Fred and Daphne both jump, startled at the sudden intrusion. They glance at the door to see Joe, Chris' camera man, hanging on the doorframe just behind Fred.

"Oh jeez, sorry folks – I hope I didn't interrupt anything!" Joe says, his eyes darting between Fred and Daphne as he notes their wide eyes and crimson cheeks. He looks as though he is about to ask them a question, but then he glances at his watch and apparently decides against it, and says, "Daphne, you're on in five minutes. Chris sent me to come and get you so you can be ready offstage when Chris introduces you. She has you and Beau speaking at the top of the hour; she figures your audience is waiting on pins and needles to hear what you both have to say, and she doesn't want to keep them in suspense anymore." And before Daphne or Fred can respond or even nod in acknowledgement, Joe gives them a tight smile before he weaves his way down the hallway, his walk brisk now that the camera crew are minutes away from going live on national television.

Fred turns his attention back to Daphne, but something feels different between them; the thrum of electricity dancing in the air is gone, and a new sense of urgency blankets over them as they realize they are about to have the answers to the questions they've been asking themselves all week regarding how the audience will react to Daphne and Beau's story. But Fred's mind still snags on what Daphne was saying only moments ago, and even though he wants to stifle his hammering heart and ask, he knows that the moment has slipped like sand between his fingers.

Daphne inhales and attempts to plaster a smile on her face. She looks at Fred, and the nervous twinkle that was shining in her eyes is replaced with something fiery and fierce; it's that same glimmer of determination and courage Fred saw when Daphne first announced she was leaving Mystery Incorporated to chase her dreams as a talk show host, and again when she went on Chris' show to announce that she was seeking a real, authentic ghost.

"Well, I'm as ready as I'll ever be!" Daphne said firmly, adding a smile for Fred's benefit. "Even if my audience doesn't want to hear the truth, I'm going to _make_ them believe me! We worked too hard and endured too much for it to all go down the drain."

Fred feels a stab of guilt sting him again, and as Daphne offers him a smile and begins to head towards the exit, stepping around him, he grips her arm just before she can pass him, and she raises her eyebrows at him with a question in her eyes. He has so much to say to her right now; he wants to beg her to tell him what it was she had wanted to ask _twice_ now; he wants to tell her how everything is going to be okay and wrap her in the biggest, tightest hug; he even wants to ask her a question that has been needling at his own brain for a long time now. But there is something even larger than all of that looming on his mind now, and he knows that if he doesn't say it, he is going to collapse in on himself like a dying star.

"Daphne," he says tersely. "Before you go out there, I just want to say –"

Her green eyes are glossy again, and Fred swallows, his heart constricting in his chest, but he pushes on –

"I - I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. This is all my fault. If I hadn't dropped the camera while we were running from those zombies, you wouldn't have had to worry about bringing Beau

on the show for proof, and we wouldn't be here today wondering if your third season of _Coast to Coast_ is going to be picked up or rejected because we're at the audience's mercy now."

Fred exhales slowly, as though a boulder has been rolled off his chest. The confusion creased across Daphne's face fades, and her eyes are shining as Fred speaks. When he is done, she gives his arm a gentle squeeze and a smile.

"You did nothing wrong, Freddy," Daphne insists, her voice calm and confident. "Please don't blame yourself for this; all that matters is that we're all home safe and sound now. Besides, if the camera hadn't fallen into the quicksand, that would have been us, instead; we were running right towards the mud!"

Fred has to admit that he has thought this more than once during the past week; he shudders when he considers the two of them stepping into mud and then being yanked back violently into the ground, fighting and clawing their way to the surface as they slowly melted into the muck below. As horrible as it was that the camera was consumed by the Earth, he also knew that he and Daphne had avoided disaster at the footage's expense that evening.

Fred feels the knots in his shoulders unravel, and he sighs; with one burden eased, he has one more thing he wants to ask her, but then the lights flicker in Daphne's dressing room and in the hallway, and Joe's voice booms over the loudspeaker, "Places, people! We go live in two minutes!"

Fred suppresses the urge to vomit as he sees Daphne inhale and exhale evenly for five seconds, a calming technique they had learned when they were teenagers moving through a carousel of mysteries at lightning-speed. He knows that he has to step up and be strong for Daphne now; it was always his role as the leader of Mystery Incorporated before, and even though this wasn't a typical situation, he saw this was no different; Daphne needed him, and he had to feign confidence for her. And maybe, just maybe, if he could radiate just enough self-assurance, she would soak it up and refract it, just as the moon reflects the sun's light in the evening sky.

Fred stands alongside Daphne as they move down the hallway; their forearms brush and separate as they walk, twice, and he wishes he hadn't felt his skin tingle where she had touched him; he can't allow anything to distract him right now. "You've got this!" he declared assertively, hoping that his enthusiasm left no room for Daphne to begin panicking. They approached the set and stood on the fringes of the action, watching as men and women zipped around each other to adjust lights and aim cameras in various angles upon the stage. Chris was already reclining comfortably in her sleek leather chair, and she looked professional as always in a crisp red blazer. When she saw Fred and Daphne hovering in the distance she beamed, and mouthed "break a leg!"

Beau saunters up behind Fred and Daphne, and Fred can see that Beau is fighting the urge to run out of the building; his hands are quivering and his leg won't stop shaking. Joe and another man from Chris' staff rush towards Daphne and Beau to clip a microphone above their left breast, and Beau's face begins to pale as he eyes the sea of faces swimming before him in the studio audience. Fred claps his hand on Beau's back, and he mouths, "Just breathe!" Beau swallows and nods, his eyes wavering towards Daphne, who looks just as calm and composed as she always does in the final seconds leading up to when she is about to speak on national television.

"Okay people, I'm going to count us down!" Joe shrills from his place behind the camera. The live studio audience bursts into cheers, and Joe adjusts the giant headphones clamped over his ears before he starts counting. "Aaaaand we're live in THREE…TWOO…ONE…"

Joe points at Chris, who doesn't miss a beat.

"Goooood morning everyone!" Chris trills as her studio audience stands on their feet, overwhelmed with excitement as they are every morning at the start of Chris' show. Chris holds her smile and pauses as the crowd sprinkles her with cheers and applause, and Joe pans the camera towards a particular female fan who is holding a sign that screams, "I'M HERE TO SEE DAPHNE BLAKE." Fred chances a glance in Daphne's direction to see if she has noticed the sign, but Daphne is staring straight ahead at Chris, her jaw set firmly and her eyes shining with determination.

"Thank you all, thank you!" Chris beams again as she waves to her audience. The smattering of applause is less intense now, and Chris flashes her bright teeth again as she gazes into the camera.

"Today we have a guest speaker who many of you have been eagerly waiting for, so let's get right to it!" Chris proclaims, which prompts the audience to break into fresh applause. "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Miss Daphne Blake from _Coast to Coast_ , and her guest, Detective Beau Neville!"

The response is deafening; as Daphne and Beau walk towards Chris, the audience's screams are a roar in Fred's ears, and the noise oppresses him as he fixes his eyes on Daphne, watching as she folds Chris into a hug before sitting down carefully in the leather seat anchored next to Chris'. Beau takes a cue from Daphne and also envelops Chris in a friendly hug, and Chris' eyes twinkle in that flirty but friendly way she often reserves for Fred and the other young men who work on her show; once again, Fred bristles over how women are so quickly fixated on Beau.

Daphne waves to the audience as a surge of respectful silence blankets the audience slowly, and Daphne and Beau flash the audience a smile as they settle into their seats. As the sound of chairs groaning and shifting beneath the now seated audience fills the room, Chris turns to Beau and Daphne, the smile still stretched across her face; fleetingly, Fred couldn't help but wonder if Chris' cheeks hurt at the end of the day after all the smiling she did on television.

"Daphne, Beau: thank you so much for being on my show today," Chris says earnestly, and Fred feels his heart rate slow as Chris speaks. He forgot how professional and how genuine Chris was, and how she always worked to ensure that her guests felt comfortable as she seamlessly guided them through their segment. During their first season of filming _Coast to_ Coast, Fred and Daphne had quickly learned that some people in show business didn't always match up with the character they presented on television, but Chris was never one of those people. Daphne and Fred had only been on her set twice now, but both times Chris had shown them nothing but kindness; between Chris' hospitality and the fact that this was where it had all started months ago, bringing Daphne's second season of the show full circle now, Chris' show was a natural fit for what Beau and Daphne were about to do today.

"Thanks so much for having us back, Chris! It's a pleasure to be here again," Daphne grins, and a member of the audience shouts, "I LOVE YOU DAPHNE!" which prompts another round of enthusiastic applause.

"Oh Daphne, it's always a treat to have you and your camera man on our show!" Chris winks at the camera. "How about we get a shot of Freddy, guys?!"

Fred squirms and feels the color spill into his cheeks as the attention is aimed at him this time, and when the camera pans to where he is standing on the fringes of the set he manages a smile and waves good-naturedly. The audience claps just as energetically as they did for Daphne, and Fred hears one woman loudly ask him if he is single, which causes him to laugh; he would be lying if he didn't say this question surprised him even to this day. There were some days when his celebrity status still felt new to him, and on those days the attention and the flirtatious girls made him tongue-tied.

The camera swiveled back to Chris, who was leaning across Daphne and staring at Beau. "And who is this fine gentleman you've brought with you today, Daphne?" Chris asks, winking at Beau.

"Detective Beau Neville with the Louisana Police Department," Beau says briskly as he offers his hand to Chris, who shakes it vigorously. "And I'm here today to authenticate what Daphne Blake is about to tell all of you this morning."

"Ooooh, this sounds so exciting, and very serious!" Chris says, clapping her hands giddily. She steals a sly glance at Daphne and asks with a glint of mischief in her eyes, "Be honest, Daph – is he about to tell us that some serious romance went down between the two of you on Moonscar Island?"

Surprised, Fred begins choking as his heart knocks against his ribcage, and a fist clenches in his stomach. He knows Chris means well and that this banter and teasing is all a way of boosting ratings and engaging with her audience, who are now screaming with laughter and anticipation, but he feels deflated, and in a sense, betrayed. And yet he can't help but wonder this, too; when they were on Moonscar Island last week, he had lost count of how many times he had whirled on Daphne and confronted her about her feelings for Beau, which she always shot down in an instant, or dismissed with the simple remark that he was "cute, but nothing more."

Daphne and Beau both look visibly embarrassed; Daphne's hands are twisting in her lap, and Beau swipes his arm across his forehead as sweat begins to bead across his face.

"Actually, there is someone else I've had my eye on lately," Beau manages to stammer, which brings on a round of "aww's" and "boo's" from the female audience members who had hoped to have a shot with the detective. "She's really special, and smart, and funny, and if she's watching from her book store right now, then I hope she hears every word of what I'm saying right now, because I mean it all."

If the women in the audience were smitten by Beau before, then they are swooning now; Fred even sees one lady dab her eyes with a tissue, and he has to admit that he too is taken aback by Beau right now. When they had met Beau on Moonscar Island, Fred and Velma both were incredulous about Beau's innocence in the mystery due to his irritable and unapproachable personality; clearly, Beau was proving more and more each day how wrong Fred and Velma were last week.

Daphne is grinning again, and Fred knows that she is just as pleased for Velma as he is right now. She turns her attention back to Chris and visibly inhales, then says, "Actually, Beau is here for another reason. He is here to confirm what my friends and I saw when we were on Moonscar Island."

The audience is quiet now, silently wondering what it is that Daphne has to tell them. Fred hears his heart thundering in his ears. " _Well, here it goes…"_

"Why, we can't wait to hear it, dear!" Chris sings out jovially. "Last time you were on our show, you promised your viewers a real ghost for your audience for your second season of _Coast to Coast_. And now we all want to see exactly what it was that you and your fabulous friends stumbled upon these past several months! Joe, cue up the video footage Daphne and Freddy have prepared for us today."

Daphne's cheeks are burning crimson red, and Fred feels his knees trembling. "Actually, Chris, we actually don't have any video footage from what we experienced on Moonscar Island last week," Daphne says gently; she eyes the audience to gauge their reaction, but everyone is silent and still, so she adds, "That's why Beau is here with me today; he is going to echo what happened while I speak, and since he's a police officer, I figured his testimony may carry more weight than what I could ever say on my own."

To her credit, Chris looks temporarily thrown, but she recovers amicably; the question that was shining in her eyes is now replaced with her warm, inviting smile again, and Fred begins to feel his shoulders relax. But then Chris asks another question, and Fred feels his heart sink into his chest like a stone.

"Daphne, why don't you have any footage to show us today, dear? What happened to your camera while you were out last week?"

Everything is frozen for a moment as Fred leans forward, his breath hitched in his throat, anxiously waiting to see if Daphne reveals that Fred is the reason they have no camera. He knows that once she tells everyone, his credibility as a talented cameraman will be destroyed, and worst of all, he'll have no choice but to look his mistake directly in the eye now.

For a brief moment Daphne's eyes connect with Fred's, and a knowing look washes over her face. She smiles tersely at Chris and replies, a little too upbeat, "Ah, that was all my fault; we all know how _danger prone_ Daphne strikes during every mystery, and silly me, I dropped it while I was carrying it and it smashed into a million pieces. And of course we didn't bring a back-up, which was my mistake, so now we have no record of what we saw on Moonscar Island, but I assure you that's it all real."

Fred feels his heart swell in his chest; he has the overwhelming urge to walk onto the set and hug Daphne right in front of everyone watching at home and the entire studio audience. _She actually lied and covered for him, even though it was his mistake…_

Chris looks confused, and she looks as though she is about to open her mouth and ask why Daphne was carrying the camera and not Fred, who was literally her camera man, when Beau clears his throat.

"Look Chris, I know how it must look right now," Beau begins. Fred is impressed by how Beau has regained his confidence again; the nervous, wavering man from fifteen minutes ago is gone. "I know you and the audience might be skeptical right now, but I just want you all to hear me and Daphne out right now. And then, once we've finished, you can all ask as many questions as you want."

For the next half an hour Daphne and Beau alternate recounting the horrifying events that transpired on Moonscar Island; the audience is still, unflinching the entire time, and the only sound in the entire studio are Daphne and Beau's voices as they speak. Occasionally, Chris gasps and interjects briefly to exclaim, "oh my!" particularly when Daphne conveys the fear she felt as she gazed upon Lena and Simone's horrifying transformation from human to cat creature. Fred shivers too when he flashes back to the moment when Lena, who he had admittedly thought was beautiful and charming, flashed a smile at him to reveal a set of pointy fangs as thick brown fur sprouted all over her milky white skin. Fred hadn't allowed himself to reflect back on last week too often, but as he listened to Daphne and Beau, he was overwhelmed by the immense realization that he and his friends were nearly drained of their energy and soul that night, and he sighs with relief knowing that he is not walking around with skin as wrinkly as a raisin at this moment.

When Daphne and Beau have finished telling everyone about the events that had transpired, Daphne concludes by saying, "So you see, that's everything, Chris. I know it sounds like it's all too crazy to believe, but Beau was there, working undercover as a gardener, and my friends Fred, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby can all confirm this happened, too. I wish I had the footage for season two, but I hope my fans will accept this story in its place."

Then Daphne pauses and stares out into the audience, her eyes taking in each face. When no one moves to clap or respond, she glances at Fred, and in that moment Fred feels the all too familiar pull of the thread again, beckoning him towards her. He wants nothing more than to take her into his arms and shield her from every scrutinizing eye; he wishes he could hold her and reassure her that the worst has passed now; he wishes he could protect her from whatever is about to happen next.

The silence has been stretching for about five seconds, which is about three seconds too long for live television, so Chris clears her throat and directs her attention to the camera.

"Well folks, I can't quite believe it myself, but there we have it!" she proclaims, but her usual bubbly demeanor is toned down and diluted as a result of everything that has been discussed; Fred can't tell if it's because she is efficiently creeped out by Daphne and Beau's story, or if it's because she doesn't quite believe them. Frankly, Fred isn't sure if he is ready to know the answer, either.

"Beau and Daphne, thank you so much for being here today," Chris says earnestly, and as the audience begins to clap politely, Fred tries not to overanalyze if the applause is toned down because they're still processing what Daphne has said, or if it's because they think their story is completely full of shit.

"Actually Chris, I have just one more thing I want to announce," Daphne says, her eyes dancing around the studio nervously. Her gaze meets Fred's momentarily, and she offers him a brief smile. Fred feels adrenaline slam throughout his body as his heart races in his chest; he and Daphne did not discuss whatever additional comment she was about to make, and he has no idea what she was about to reveal.

Daphne clears her throat, then states confidently, "Starting today, I am officially announcing my retirement from television. Even though the gang and I went through something that nearly killed us, it made me realize how much I actually missed those simple days on the road in our cramped Mystery Machine, solving mysteries just for the thrill of it. Therefore, Chris, you can all consider this my farewell from television!"

Immediately the audience is vibrating with questions and exclamations and screams, and Fred even hears some livid protesting. Chris looks momentarily panicked, her eyes wide as saucers, and Joe waves his hands at the audience in an attempt to silence them. Fred, too, feels his mind buzzing with questions: why did Daphne decide to quit just when her show was starting to climb in the ratings? Two years ago she was so tired of the formulaic pattern her life had taken on in the form of unmasking a man or a woman in a mask, and she dared to dream of a popular mainstream talk show that would make her a household name. Now she was throwing all of that away just to return to the life she had before _Coast to Coast_? Fred shook his head in confusion; when had Daphne made this decision?

Chris beamed, clearly thrilled to have the latest scoop in Hollywood revealed first on her television show. "Well folks, you heard it here first!" she exclaimed. "Daphne Blake, we sure are going to miss you and Freddy, but we wish you well on your next journey. Thank you Daphne, and you too Beau, for being on our show this morning! And now we are going to take a break to for a few commercial messages."

The audience cheered and clapped, and some of them rose to their feet as Daphne stood to wave, but she didn't linger; she shook Beau and Chris' hand hurriedly, unclipped the mic from her blazer and handed it to Joe, and then she made a beeline towards where Fred was standing. When she was standing before him he opened his mouth to ask her about the announcement, but she grabbed his hand and laced her fingers through his, which caught him off guard and sent jolts of electricity down his arm.

"We need to get out of here so I can ask you something in private," she said simply, and keeping her hand threaded in Fred's she guides him towards the exit, which leads to the private staff parking lot nestled behind the studio. Fred and Daphne's eyes blink as they step into the sunlight, and as Fred's vision adjusts he sees that Daphne is leading them towards the Mystery Machine. He expects her to open the passenger door and climb in, so he reaches for the keys in his pocket, but she drops his hand just as unexpectedly as she took it and swivels to face him.

"You're probably wondering why I didn't tell you that announcement beforehand," she begins slowly, eyeing Fred's face for a reaction.

Fred sighs, unsure of what to say.

"I mean, yeah, it would have been nice to know beforehand considering I'm your camera man," he admits, but he is also shocked when he realizes that he feels no trace of anger; instead, he feels something light filtering into his veins, and the giddy realization that he and the gang are about to be permanent detectives again spreads a smile across his face. But he still doesn't understand why she decided to make that call without even knowing how the audience will receive the story in the next coming weeks.

"So you decided that before you even knew how everyone would react," Fred mused slowly. "So that means you made up your mind before you even knew which way this would work out for you. Why did you do it, Daph? What if the tabloids and the media decide to trust us? This could have been huge for your show!"

Daphne takes a tentative step towards Fred and smiles softly. "Being with the gang last week reminded me of how much I love and miss solving mysteries. Honestly, when I announced that I was going to find a real monster for season two of my show, I didn't truly expect to find one; I had anticipated much of the same routine of unmasking bad guys, even though I was hopefully optimistic. When we did find the zombies and you yanked that one zombie's head clean off and proved that monsters can be real sometimes, I felt like I had reached the elusive pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, so to speak. I felt like we hit the lottery and that I had a thrilling story to tell, even without our camera. But once the mystery ended and we went home last week, I realized that the time I had spent with you and the rest of the gang was the happiest I've been these last two years. Even though I had the time of my life filming my show, I don't think anything I ever do will compare to the high of solving mysteries."

Fred is too stunned to speak, and Daphne shifts, blushing.

"That brings me back to something I've been wanting to ask you," she says nervously, her eyes darting everywhere. Fred is fairly certain he's about to pass out now, but he just waits patiently, hoping she can't hear his heart galloping; he is almost positive that it's so loud that the audience can hear it inside Chris' studio, even amongst all the noise and activity on the set.

"Fred, I've been wanting to ask you…" her voice trails off. She gulps, and then says in a rush, "Uhh, you know, it's silly, but I guess I've been meaning to ask you if you want to go back to mystery solving with me, too. When this all started I asked if you wanted to be my camera man, and you said yes then. I guess I'm just really hoping you'll say yes again, and I've been afraid that you're going to be upset with me for making this jump without letting you know first."

As touched as Fred is by her gesture, for some reason he feels as though this isn't what Daphne had intended to ask him. His mind is a storm cloud brewing with thoughts and questions and emotions, but one thing is clear to him, and it's that he isn't letting her escape this moment for a third time.

_"Why don't you just tell her how you feel already, man? I'm pretty sure you really, really care about her, too."_

Beau's voice echoes in Fred's mind, and it's enough to propel him forward as he steps toward Daphne, who looks perplexed now. He has a string of questions he wants to ask her, like why she took the fall on national television for losing the camera on Moonscar Island, or why she can't bring herself to ask whatever it is that is truly on her mind, or why she's consistently selected and isolated Fred out of everyone else in her life to follow her from solving mysteries to filming a talk-show to returning back to mysteries again. He wants to ask her all of this and more, but there's one question he's been dying to know since the moment he met her, and if he doesn't ask it now, he's afraid he's going to burst.

Fred grabs Daphne's hand gingerly and laces his fingers through her's, and he gently pulls her towards him. She doesn't resist, but she does search his eyes for a hint of what's to come as Fred continues pulling her towards him until the full lengths of their bodies are touching. He doesn't stop pulling her until her face is just inches away from his and she's in his breathing space.

"I'd follow you anywhere, Daphne Blake," Fred replies softly, and Daphne's so close to him that he can feel the slight heat from the rosy blush spreading on her cheeks. "But first, before we get in the Mystery Machine and go pick up Velma and Shaggy and Scooby and hit the road, I just have one question that I've been meaning to ask you for a long time, too."

Fred pauses, waiting for her permission as he attempts to summon all the courage he's ever had in the past, but somehow running from zombies and cat creatures and villains in cheap Halloween masks feels less scary than what he's about to ask her. He remembers standing on the pier with her last week, watching the sun sear the sky and melt the clouds away, leaving streaks of vibrant pinks and oranges, and as he gazed upon the sky Daphne clung to his arm and said, "You know Fred, with all the zombies and cat creatures gone, this is a pretty romantic spot." He is bolstered and fueled by that memory now, by the implication and invitation of her remark, a remark he should have acted on when he had the chance last week, but he's about to rectify right now. So he waits for her to speak, searching her wet eyes for permission, and finally, finally she nods her consent, and he squeezes her hand and he asks her something he's been wondering since the moment he first saw her.

"Can I kiss you, Daphne?"

For a split second he's worried she's going to shove him away from her or laugh in his face, and his heart is pounding in his ears as he watches her; she blinks her crystal blue eyes, which are shining like jewels, and when her lips spread into a smile and she nods, he puts one hand on her waist and buries the other one in her hair, which is silky soft as he had expected. For a second neither of them move, and his mind screams at him move before he loses this nerve and this moment he's been waiting for most of his life, and then he kisses her. Her lips are like soft pillows and he feels himself sink into them, and instantly it feels as though his skin is on fire; he feels this kiss everywhere, from the center of his belly to the backs of his knees to the top of his head, and then the kiss intensifies when Daphne parts her lips and their tongues tangle and retreat and tangle again. It feels as though the kiss has lasted for a few seconds, but he knows it's been at least a few minutes when he feels his lungs burning for air, so he pulls back slowly as he inhales, and when he opens his eyes and sees her smiling back at him, he knows this is actually the question she had been wanting to ask him, too.

Fred opens his mouth, but he's still rasping for air, and he hears Daphne rasping as she attempts to catch her breath, too. He always knew there was chemistry between them, but this is intense; they're like kindling and explosive match sticks, or fire danger signs amongst a forest just waiting to be burned. He places his hand on the back of her neck and rests his forehead against her's, which causes her to blush again. When they're breathing normally again, Fred plants a kiss on the tip of her nose.

"So, I guess you do really like me and not Lena after all," Daphne finally exhales, and Fred feels the guilt claw at him for making her wonder if there was ever anyone else in the first place.

"Only you," Fred says, punctuating each word with a nose kiss, which elicits a giggle from Daphne. "It's. Always. Been. _You_." He hooks her hair behind her ear as a laugh bubbles from her throat. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Hey, you lied a few minutes ago!" Daphne laughs light-heartedly. "You said you only had one question you wanted to ask me!"

Fred grins sheepishly. "Okay, yeah, I guess technically I did lie, but I hope you don't mind because I was also wondering if you wanted to be my girlfriend."

Daphne doesn't speak, but Fred knows he has his answer when the tears start sliding down her cheek and she cups her hands around his face, bringing him in for a kiss. When their lips meet again and Fred feels Daphne's smile beneath his lips, for the first time since last week, he's grateful for all the zombies and the cat creatures and the wax figures and the quick sand, because every second has brought him here, to this moment he's pictured a thousand times in his head; it's better than anything he's ever imagined before, and he never wants it to end.


End file.
